COMMENCAL NEWS Colors-Of-Mexico-Kilian-Bron

Colors Of Mexico - Kilian Bron

For Kilian Bron and his team, each trip is unique and littered with many moments that will remain engraved in their memories forever.
Through their videos they showcase unusual places subtly, vibrantly and artistically.

This new trip to Mexico is no exception to the rule.
A month travelling through diverse and varied regions, meeting local people,
looking for the best spots to put the tyres down and finding the perfect angle and light to collect thousands of snapshots or hours of videos.

Here, you’ll find a short overview of this adventure, illustrated in the latest book edited by Kilian Bron, "Colors of Mexico".

CONCEPT

This new edit is a mix of our latest
"Tour De France" and "Follow the Light" videos.
A series of images that are all different from one another
while keeping the variety of colours as a frame.
The pace is still strong.
The search for specific areas means I do several hours
of research per day, even anticipating as much as possible before the trip.

I am constantly writing to the local riders in each region,
also getting to know all the people we meet along the way.
Not forgetting the course of a classic day as well,
in search of places to eat, do things like refuelling the car,
washing clothes, managing mechanics / bike maintenance
and finding different places to sleep.
The simple things in life,
which combine with the constraints of filming
and the discovery of the country.

PREPARATION

The chosen format of the video means
I have to do a lot of scouting locations before filming.
We don't spend a month at the same spot!
Usually and ideally, we stay two days in the same place.
A first to run or ride in the mountains
allowing me to select the right areas, and we film the next day.
For this trip, we had a local interpreter in order
to obtain various authorisations more easily
and to interact with the Mexicans, if necessary.

THE TEAM

For several months in the run-up until the end of the project
when we complete everything, the whole team is 100% involved.
These video formats motivate us
and that's why we still have this signature style
with all these sequences of images.
Music is also part of this style.
In this particular case, it was specifically composed for this video
with a rhythm linked to the country,
its Mexican inhabitants and its traditions.
Everything has been thought through,
we hope you enjoy the details!

POPOCATEPETL SUMMIT

We had to do at least one crazy expedition during this month in Mexico.
The craziest, by far, and one that I didn't necessarily envision
before the start was the ascent of Mexico's most active volcano.

The POPOCATEPETL summits at about 5,300m above sea level.
Access is very controlled but we managed to obtain
our right of way on a two-day slot, fully responsible for ourselves.

(…) A magical experience that has been lived as much before,
as during and after the expedition.
But if I have one distinct memory,
it would be the feeling of loneliness at an altitude
of more than 5000m at night.

TEQUILA

Now let's talk about Mexican clichés!
The funniest stop was a visit to the Tequila factories,
west of Guadalajara.

As in each location,
scouting is always necessary before the filming really starts.

COULOURS

My image of Mexico City before the start was rather blurry but I imagine the country very rich in colour.
I think of the arid side with these cacti but there is much more to tell.

As always before departure, I spend time with Mexican friends who direct me to the right new destinations.
There is indeed a great range of possibilities!

DUST

Dust was another highlight of this full month in Mexico.
In the middle of the dry season, we didn't see a drop of rain.

I drove regularly in about 10cm of fine and fresh dust,
hiding the holes and roughness of the ground.